Tired Eyes
by EchoXMatsuyama
Summary: Summary: Neji comes back from a mission and faints from egsostion, when he comes too he faces his love for Shikamaru, and he's glad he did. Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters. The only thing that's mine is the story line and idea. This takes place during the two years that Naruto is gone.


Tired Eyes (Shikamaru Nara X Neji Hyuga)

By: EchoXMatsuyama

Summary: Neji comes back from a mission and faints from egsostion, when he comes too he faces his love for Shikamaru, and he's glad he did.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters. The only thing that's mine is the story line and idea.

This takes place during the two years that Naruto is gone.

_~Start Story~_

The sun's rays shown through the dirty white flaps of the blinds that covered the ninjas, Neji Hyuga's only window in his small bedroom. The blinds were there to shield him from the natural light, but due to his window being open the soft breeze seeped in blowing the shades inward. The noises did not bother him, not in the slightest. He laid in his bed half covered with his head turned to the side and his arms stretched out to both sides. His translucent eyes were not showing as he was in a deep slumber. Naturally the small amount of light would have awoken Neji, but today that was not the case. He had recently come back from a long mission and was beat. He could not find the strength to move his body. His pale chest rose and fell as slips of breath exited and entered his light plump, peach lips.

Then the day truly happened that would once again put this tired ninja to work.

A small knock came from his bedroom door. It had took a few more knocks before he mustered up the strength to reply the cursed person disrupting his sleep. "Wh-who's there?!" His voice was cracked and harsh. The person on the other side did not seem bothered by the tone of his voice because he answered in a calm collected manner, "It's me Shikamaru."

Neji let out a low growl of frustration, because it was known that when Shikamaru came around it was usually because you need to either go see the Hokage or you were already assigned a mission.

"I don't have all day, the Hokage needs us." Neji could tell that Shikamaru was still as lazy as ever because as soon as he finished his sentence he mumbled the usual 'How troublesome' comment and sighed. Neji forced himself to get out of his cozy bed and stood up. Stretching his arm muscles he proceeded to the door and opened it. As soon as he did a gust of wind hit his exposed chest, causing goose bumps to pop up along his creamy skin. They slowly subsided as the sun touched him. "What does she need?" He asked in a gruff, angered tone.

"I was just told to come and get you and we both have to go to her office." He said in a monotonous voice.

"All right, all right hold on." Neji closed his door and retreated to his room to get some decent clothes on.

~XOXO~

Both guys were on their way to the Hokage's office and the whole way there they both remained silent. Every now and then you could see Nara glancing at Neji from the corner of his eye. He could tell that Hyuga was tired. His eyes would close and then snap open with every other step he took. When they got to the Hokage's office they stood in front of the door and waited for her to allow them in.

Neji reached for the handle and just as he gripped it he felt as if he had lost all his energy. Spots of white and black appeared before his eyes and his legs buckled under him. Shikamaru put out his arms and bent his body to catch the young Hyuga. Neji felt an arm wrap around his chest and he just couldn't keep his eyes open any longer.

(A/N: Take advantage of him Shika!

Goten: You're the author you can make it happen.

A/N: No one asked you, now shew shew I already wrote a story with you! You're going to make me miss the smut scene.

Goten: But you're the…

A/N: Shhhh, go away

Goten: *Sigh* Yaoi fan girls are impossible.)

_~XOXO~_

Neji's lucid eyes slowly opened and he found himself staring up at a white ceiling. He blinked a few times to adjust his eyes to the hazy sunlight shining through the darkening room. His body was stiff and it took a lot of energy to move his head to look around. The room was almost bear, except for the bed he laid on, a small stand next to him, and a closet on the opposite wall of him. There were three windows that spanned the west side of the room. The dull green curtains were wide open. He groaned in slight pain from the stiffness of his slumber. He maneuvered his body so that he was sitting up with his feet dangling off the side of the bed. Neji brought his slender pale hand up to his head and slid his fingers through his soft, thin, coal black strands. As his hand stopped on his forehead he realized he no longer had on his thin cloth or head band that consoled his own curse mark. Looking around frantically he tried to locate something to cover the mark before anyone can walk in and see it. Sure he showed everyone at the finals of the Cunin Exams, but he still feels uncomfortable with anyone staring at him and looking at him with such sympathy.

"Looking for this?"

Turning around sharply he saw Shikamaru standing in the door way of his small room. In his hand he had the white cloth and his ninja head band.

"Those are mine." Neji stated as he stood from the bed to make his way to Shikamaru, but as soon as he did Shikamaru said, "You need to stay lying down you're still not well." Shikamaru moved to the side of Neji's bed and placed his bandaged and head band on the bed side table. "What happened?" Hyuga asked as Shikamaru grabbed his shoulders and pushed him back into the bed.

"You passed out from over exhaustion."

"What about the Hokage, she needed us."

"Don't worry she knows what happened and she ordered me to make sure you don't leave this hospital tell you are fully functional and no longer as tired as you are right now."

Neji nodded his head and looked between Shikamaru and his headband.

"Don't worry I won't take them." Shika reassured him. Neji got back in bed and rested with the other ninja's answer. He didn't like the idea of having someone watch over him, but he was willing to put up with it since it was Shikamaru Nara. For some reason his mind couldn't fathom why he felt so calm and relaxed with the genius at his side.

He's never really hung out with Nara, and he's coming to regret it. He wants to be near him, he wants to get to know him, and he would like to be a part of his life. Sure that's a little preposterous that Neji Hyuga, the one everyone who thinks so highly of himself, would want to hang with the likes of a man like Shikamaru. A guy who doesn't care about working hard, a guy who puts others before himself, and that's why Neji feels so drawn to him. Shikamaru Nara is like the exact opposite of him. These contradictions just made him feel even closer to Shika, but he would never admit that.

If he ever did Shikamaru would think he has gone crazy, or the lack of sleep has caused his thoughts to become disoriented, and he wouldn't take him seriously. So he didn't even try to voice his thoughts. They will forever stay in his head tell the day he dies, which can be at any moment since he's a ninja.

"Neji…Neji?"

"What?" Neji was facing away from Shikamaru and couldn't see the confused look that plastered itself on the young nin's face. Neji tried to keep his voice calm, but it was hard to with this depressed feeling washing over him.

"I think I love you…" Neji's closed eyes snapped open and he whipped his body around so that he was sitting up and staring wide eyes at Shika; who had his eyes down casted and a visible blush on his pale cheeks. Neji did not believe what he was hearing. Why was Shika saying such things? Does he know how Neji feels and is just pulling some cruel joke on him? Watch any moment now he's going to look up with a huge grin on his face and laugh.

"I'm serious, I just…I don't know, for once I can't put it in words, Haha." His laugh was full of uncertainty; he was just as confused as Neji.

"Wh-Why?" Neji managed to get out, but still in shock.

"Why what? Why did I tell you? It just feels too troublesome to keep these…emotions bottled up , I just had to tell you."

Neji's mouth hung open and his eyes stayed on Shika, "This is for real isn't it?"

"Um yeah…" Shikamaru forced himself to look up at Neji. This gave the older ninja full view of the blush that lay across his face. Neji had to admit that Shikamaru looked adorable, in a way that Neji wished the genius would blush more often.

Neji was at a loss for words, what was he supposed to say, 'well yay I love you too, now let's go back to my house and consummate.' Haha! Yeah right, he was not going to just do that, so then what was he supposed to do?

"I know you probably don't feel the same way, but…"

"I do." Neji interrupted him. Shikamaru was caught off guard by Neji's somewhat confession. The genius searched Neji's eyes trying to make sure he wasn't just saying this; he wanted to know that he wasn't the only one feeling like this, and he wasn't.

Neji knew the heart wrenching pain and the butterflies in the stomach.

"It's true Shikamaru." Shika's heart clenched at the way Neji said his name, it came out like he has always imagined, soft and with care.

"I know." Shika smiled up at his elder, and in one swift movement, Neji reached out and took hold of Shikamaru's vest, pulling him in. Without any warning, Neji brought their lips together, in a clash of teeth the two felt a spark like no other. The intensity of the feeling was enough for Shika to want more.

He climbed onto the bed, never once unlocking their lips. He sat on top of Neji's lap; their fingers hand intertwined and Neji had pushed his tongue into Shika's mouth, taking full control. He wanted to feel and taste the other ninja, he wanted to show and prove that Shikamaru is now his and will always be his.

When they finally broke for much need air their eyes locked and they never faulted.

"I love you Neji…"

"I love you too Shikamaru…"

~THE END~

A/N: I hope everyone enjoyed that; I had fun writing this one. XD


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